WILL the Blue Eagles extend their dynasty or will the Fighting Maroons make history?

This is the question set to be answered on Friday when Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and University of the Philippines (UP) slug it out in the winner-take-all Game Three of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 men’s basketball finals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena today, May 13. Game time is 6 p.m.

The Blue Eagles are looking for their fourth straight UAAP crown while the

Fighting Maroons aim for their first championship in 36 years.

With the best-of-three series tied at 1-1 and the first two games going down the wire, Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin expects Game

Three to be another close encounter.

“The two games were so similar but the difference in the game was we made some big plays at the end in Game Two and they made big plays in Game One,” Baldwin said following his team’s 69-66 win in Game Two on Wednesday. “Apart from that, you can’t really separate these two teams very much from another. I think Game Three is going to be, potentially, an epic game. We’re excited that we’re there,” Baldwin added.

The Fighting Maroons drew first blood with an 81-74 overtime victory last Sunday.

Baldwin said that his team did well in basically all statistical categories in Game Two except for the Blue Eagles’ free throw shooting clip where they missed 9 out of 20. Had they shot better from the foul line, Baldwin said it would have given them more cushion down the stretch against the gutsy Fighting Maroons squad.

“I think UP brings a really high quality of basketball. Tonight, we responded. We did the job in key statistical categories. Apart from our free throw shooting, everything in the stats sheet looks really good for us. We have to get our minds right for the free throw shooting,” he said on Wednesday.

With the way UP is playing, Baldwin admitted that he has become a fan of his counterpart Goldwin Monteverde.

“In all honesty, I’m a big Aldin Ayo fan but certainly Goldwin is making me a big fan of him as well with the way he’s coaching his team. With the way they’re playing in big moments,” he said.

UP nearly pulled the rug from under Ateneo anew in Game Two as the Fighting Maroons never gave up until the final buzzer had sounded.

Down by 15 points, 30-45, UP rallied to take a 57-56 lead at the 5:04 mark of the fourth period after Carl Tamayo drained a triple. The Blue Eagles, however, recovered their bearings and avoided another meltdown.

“We take pride in not giving up whatever the score is. We fight till the end. The biggest takeaway is that whatever mistakes we made a while ago — everytime, after the game, win or lose, whatever mistakes or lapses, we know that we have to improve on that,” Monteverde said.Monteverde said that the Fighting Maroons, who last won a UAAP title in 1986, need to work on their slow start, erratic defense and multiple turnovers.

“For this game, we had quite a slow start. Our defense was not that tight unlike in the fourth quarter. Our consistency on that part needs to improve. We need to be more responsible in our possessions because we have so many turnovers. We also need to improve our reads on the floor,” he added.

Most Valuable Player Angelo Kouame and Rookie of the Year Carl Tamayo both played above par in Game Two.

Kouame nearly posted a tripledouble in collecting 14 points, 14 rebounds, and eight blocks for Ateneo even as Tamayo finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two steals for UP in Game Two.

The two players are expected to lead their teams anew in Game Three.